


maybe everything's just turning out how it should be

by Luppiters



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Big Block of Cheese Day, Gen, Implied Relationships, It's all about the sibling energy, Post Bartlett Administration, They are there but they aren't the main focus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:09:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29593977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luppiters/pseuds/Luppiters
Summary: As a way to honor his late mentor, Josh brings back Leo’s Big Block of Cheese tradition during the Santos Administration. Unbeknownst to him, he ends up having a special crackpot meeting of his own.
Relationships: C. J. Cregg & Josh Lyman, Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg, Josh Lyman/Donna Moss
Comments: 17
Kudos: 32





	maybe everything's just turning out how it should be

**Author's Note:**

> Title borrowed from Maggie Rogers' "Past Life."  
> This was probably one of the first fic ideas I had after I watched the show, and the first one I considered posting, forever and a half ago. I wasn't sure I would post anything again, and certainly not as ~soon, but here I am? I don't know how these keep getting longer but I hope you enjoy this story nonetheless.
> 
> Thanks to [theoofoof](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoofoof), [elflordsmistress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elflordsmistress), and [fransunflower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fransunflower) for their words of encouragement and beta work with this one ♥

This wasn’t the same without Leo.

Leo was the one who rescued this silly Andrew Jackson tradition from obscurity and the one who infused the day with the enthusiasm it required. Josh had never been too pleased to be part of it even if he had to admit, some of the pitches got to him in the end and reminded him what politics were at the root of it.

Damn it. Leo was so good at picking the best groups and then assigning the different pitches. As if he knew what would get under the staffers’ skin, what would get them to buy into whatever these crackpots were selling. So that they would recognize that ideas coupled with passion was what mattered, rather than the game of influence that politics often was.

But, Donna was right. What better way to honor the man he adored and missed dearly than to keep up this tradition? When Josh brought it up with Santos, the President was unconscionably amused but waged his finger animatedly, declaring it a ‘brilliant idea’. The President was a champion for the underdog and wanted to bolster non-political voices so Josh probably should’ve known he would be into this idea.

Once he had decided on doing it, Josh had told Sam, who had been on board immediately. Lou had scrunched her nose and shook her head, quickly noting she wouldn’t do it — but little did she know, she would have no choice and he just had the perfect group for her. Donna and Annabeth wanted at least one cause for the East Wing, keeping their successful activism streak with the First Lady and fomenting the image of collaboration and harmony between both wings of the White House. Plus, both Donna and Annabeth wanted to keep Leo’s spirit around in a way they too knew was special to the man. Bram, Otto, Lester, all the others... they would hear of it on the day. He couldn’t wait to hear the protests and bathe in their despair the day of.

Josh’s original idea had been to hold it in mid December towards the end of their first year – close to Leo’s birthday – but State of the Union prep, on top of a few unforeseen conflicts they had to get out of first, had pushed it to mid May. Still, Leo would have been proud of the little cheese decorations Miranda and Peter had dutifully worked on for a few days, and the wheel of cheese Margaret had bought specifically for this. Everyone in on this had been excited in their own way, if only because they knew how much the day and what it represented meant to Leo… and they couldn’t think of a better way of honoring how much Leo meant to them.

As Josh stood in between the two Roosevelt portraits in the eponymous room, reciting the Big Block of Cheese spiel he had heard from Leo many times before, he relished the incredulity in his senior staffers’ faces. He was enjoying this; he felt as powerful as Leo must have felt back then. Heck, he now understood why Leo was so forceful and enjoyed dishing these loving punishments. This was _fun_. Years of participating in this “tradition” had taught him how important this was – besides, it would all be worth it when these people bought into these ideas hook, line, and sinker – just like the Bartlet senior staffers had. C.J. had talked about that damn wolf road for weeks afterwards and he had become just as obsessed with the maps the year after, especially coming off his physics streak when he had been convinced time was an illusion.

With the help of the President, he had assigned the best, often most ridiculous requests — with actual interesting proposals — to everyone: 

Bram was getting some women’s group who advocated for the elimination of the pink tax on intimate female products – and, after having lived with Donna for over a year, Josh was actually offended by its existence. 

Otto was getting people who wanted to create special bee reserves so they wouldn’t go extinct, complete with dioramas that would fit nicely into a National Botanical Garden exhibit.

Lou was getting some offbeat humane society that wanted some laws on abandoned pets in natural disasters and otherwise.

Josh had purposely left himself off the list. 

His argument was, he had to run the country, keep the President in check and keep the trains running - just as Leo had. He would drop in into each of the meetings as needed, to make sure the staff were all taking them as seriously as they should. Josh strolled the short distance back to his office, passing through Margaret’s side first to pick up a couple of memos he’d need for his 2pm meeting with the Panamanian president.

Who would’ve told him reading was half of the job? Why couldn’t C.J. have included that in her transition memo? 

_Right_. Because hers had been a rolled-up, five-page document she had hit him with before announcing she was declining Santos' offer. To her credit, C.J. had actually written useful tips on how to approach the job rather than merely providing updates on every conflict (though there was some of that as well); mainly advising him to listen to Margaret, his President, and to always delegate to his very competent staff. 

She had even added a long note explaining that balance in this job was difficult and required communication with one’s partner. It was a taxing job for both parties – she had even admitted she had quickly seen why Leo’s marriage had broken down over it – and just begged him to trust Donna and share everything that got to him with her. 

Josh wasn’t dumb and could read between the lines and find a bit of C.J.’s own remorse in there as well. He had known his friend had had a hard time adjusting to a position she had never truly prepared for; he had also known she had bled staff left and right (himself included). What he hadn’t known back then, not until a few days later when they shared some drinks before she left, was how close she had been to breaking up with Danny over her job, just because she was closed off and felt she couldn’t let anyone in. She had also seen a couple of other past relationships go under because she couldn’t dedicate the proper amount of time her other half was expecting and she didn’t want him and Donna to go through that. 

He had known C.J. had never wished to settle down or become a wife – at least not exclusively and not if it got in the way of her dreams – but, like many people, she had felt lonely and wanted to share such an amazing and unique experience with another human being. That she had almost let that go with Danny sent a shock to his system that reminded him he had almost let Donna go as well. He had decided to hold onto his beautiful girlfriend for dear life.

Bless C.J. for being a great friend and passing on important advice.

Especially because, despite declining their offer to serve as Special Counselor (come on, it was the same pay for _half_ the job!), she had been very forthcoming about being available to offer advice via Skype and phone calls. C.J. had been gracious about taking his calls at odd hours in the morning just when he had doubted himself and his leadership skills, and she had only been a _tad_ snippy.

Josh hadn’t seen her in a while – not since she had taken a trip to the city to meet with some important people regarding her African pet project. _That had been... after her wedding, right?_ He mused, pensive. _Had that been the time Danny was with her, or the one after?_

Lost in thought, Josh snatched the notes from Margaret’s stretched arm, and walked to his office without listening to his assistant rattling off some warnings.

His yelp or surprise at what he found inside amused the redhead, who was right on his tails. “I just told you about this,” Margaret stage whispered in exasperation. _Men_. They just _didn’t_ listen.

“Rule number two on this job, Joshua: always, _always_ listen to Margaret. I thought I was quite clear about this in my transition memo,” declared the visitor in his office.

Josh finally closed his mouth, walking deep into his office as he muttered his thanks to Margaret without taking his eyes off the visitor, sitting comfortably on her sofa with her long legs on the table.

“Hello, mi amor. I would close my mouth if I were you... Don’t want you catching flies.”

He narrowed his eyes at her smartass response before smiling, walking towards her. She looked beautiful and vibrant.

“I had no idea you were coming. We didn’t schedule this meeting, did we?” He was suddenly wondering if he had conjured her up, thinking about her just now. Maybe Leo had, somehow.

C.J. stood up from the sofa and met her old friend halfway. They hugged effusively, leaving the retorts and playful banter aside for a second. “The moment Donna offhandedly mentioned to me you were doing this, I had to come. Even President Santos told me to be your crackpot, when we met earlier.” C.J. smiled candidly, excited to be on the other side of the fun for once.

“He isn’t supposed to use that nickname,” he said in between grinding teeth.

“You use it all the time.”

“... With love?” Josh squeaked, though he knew C.J. wouldn’t buy it.

C.J. shook her head quickly, smiling. “I’m not going to rat you out. Relax.”

“Uh-kay.”

He was still watching her as she took a quick look around, scrunching her nose. “I am not sure if I like what you’ve done with the place.”

“Why? It’s almost exactly Leo’s decor.”

“Exactly.” C.J.’s eyes moved around the room, as she put her hands on her waist. C.J. had only been officially his boss for a few months but damn if she couldn’t make him feel small with her stoic presence. Must be her height. She then looked at Josh, at his general appearance, appraising him. “Leo’s the best role model there is. You should make your own mark and it should be reflected on your office.”

“I’ve always liked this office configuration. And I have my little touches...”

“Okay. I didn’t mean to say anything.” Her hands rose, as did her eyebrows. “Though, I’m glad you’re dressing a bit better.”

“Thanks?”

“I will have to give Donna kudos when I see her later.”

A comfortable silence fell between them as they simply stared at each other. They were usually 3000 miles apart; this type of silence was what their friendship had been like for most of the past year and a half in between talking about their lives and politics. 

For C.J., the return to this place brought a lot of overwhelming memories for her. She had made her peace with leaving this place... this part of her life behind fifteen months ago. Yet memories, both good and bad, rushed back to her as she looked around the office and she acknowledged, not for the first time since she had walked back in, that this would always be her greatest job and her greatest professional accomplishment.

Before she could sink into a black hole of memories, Josh’s voice broke through that fog and brought her back to the present.

“How’s life?” Josh asked, leading her towards the couch and sitting next to her. “I had no idea you were coming to town. Is Mr. Cregg around?” He stretches his neck, as if to prove his point, as if Danny was hiding behind the couch somehow. “I should call him if he is. I owe him a beer since the Pistons did make the playoffs this time around.”

“Oh right, they’re actually doing quite well,” she murmured softly, vaguely aware of that. Her husband supported his state’s basketball hometeam to an absurd degree, even if he was an ardent Knicks fan. C.J. subtly shifted her eyes, thinking about the impulsive nature behind their longer trip, apart from the planned speech. She didn’t miss a beat, however, and lightened up. “Also, don’t call him that... He would love it.” Josh’s raised eyebrows reminded her she hadn’t explicitly answered his question. “Yeah, he’s around… he came with me to DC. I think I kept him away from the press room but he’s at the Post offices as we speak, saying hi. I was coming here for a small event at Georgetown and he wanted to tag along… had rearranged some of his book business meetings so he could tend to them now.”

“Oh, look at you thriving on the lecture circuit,” he stated adorably, truly proud of her. Josh saw her as a sister and was in awe of all of the work she’s been doing following her White House stint. C.J. wasn’t as active on the circuit as some other former politicos, balancing it with her job with the Foundation she headed. Though he hadn’t had a chance to see one of her lectures, he was aware she was quite a hit, particularly in colleges. Considering how charismatic, funny, and smart she was, Josh wasn’t surprised. “Any other long-form pieces of that husband of yours in the making? They’re far and between but they are good. The one for Time...” Josh whistled, nodding sharply and quickly in approval. “I didn’t like it at first but... well, I know the President took the criticism to heart, eventually.”

C.J.’s lips curved slightly, proud of her husband and his excellent freelance work. Josh smiled, seeing that pride shining in her eyes. “He’s always been like that. Even when he wrote about us – about the Bartlet administration – from thousands of miles away, he would call us out like he had seen us fuck up in person. He’s just very good and I’m glad he hasn’t completely given up.”

“True. Besides, you liked that whole Romeo and Juliet dynamic you had going on.”

“Shut up, we did not have that. That wasn’t why we even liked each other.” Her eyes were shifty, as if she was trying to avoid admitting there was some truth to his words. “Besides, it’s not like he’s writing regularly anymore. Just every once in a blue moon, and it’s always been about covering for friends or special requests.” She paused for a second, playing with her fingers as she leaned against his sofa. “If he’s pitched anything recently, it’s because I begged him to. He still has great ideas and sharp analysis and it’s unfair I’m the only one that gets to hear them.”

“I still can’t believe he quit the ‘biz and decided writing books and teaching were more his thing,” Josh commented breathily, the incredulity present in his voice. It had been a shock when his old friend had shared this news with him over breakfast one morning, even before he had learned Danny was moving with C.J. to the west coast. Danny and journalism had been a duo ever since he had met the man at twenty-something years old in a Cambridge bar. “He would’ve been an asset to us, to this administration. Both of you would have been.”

“Well, he was disillusioned... I was shell-shocked at first because I used to believe he and reporting were like this,” she interlaced her fingers, sighing for a second and Josh could tell there was some remorse there. She undid her hands shortly after, playing with her wedding ring lost in thought. “I don’t blame him for doing it; I actually think he was brave for taking such a big leap. Besides, he seems happier teaching and reporting just occasionally.”

He stared at her hands, the way she seemed so preoccupied with her rings. There was something on her mind, that much he could tell. Between her hands and wistfulness in her voice, he was worried. “But you two are alright?”

C.J. lifted her left hand from the grey skirt she was wearing, showing him a stunning, round-cut two-carats diamond band, as well as the simple gold wedding band. It was a clear answer. “Never better. You should consider it some time.”

“It’s only been a year and a half. I don’t know if we’re ready for it.”

“I’m not saying marriage isn’t a lot of work because... it _is_. It’s just easier with the right partner. You already make the conscious choice of loving and cherishing her every day so it is no more difficult than that.” C.J. leaned back against the sofa, ready to throw the definite blow. “You’ve been married for over a decade, minus the benefits. You’re already living together! What else do you need?”

“God, when did you become so damn sappy?” Josh’s face reflected some mock disgust, scrunching his nose. He was just amazed that C.J., queen of independence, was pushing him towards marriage so forcibly. C.J. laughed throatily, amused at the accusation rather than being offended by it. Perhaps, most likely, she had always been a romantic at heart that had just been worn down by circumstance. However, C.J. didn’t consider herself to be sappy in any way — that was all her loving husband. If something had rubbed off on her… well.

“I’m not here to convince you to marry Donna… But she’s good for you. You look almost decent now, mi amor. I think the hairline has stopped receding as fast.” C.J. sobered up and stared into his eyes sincerely. “You are doing a great job… haven’t had any nutties that I know of...”

“And that’s you _not trying_?” Josh shook his head in amusement, feeling the awkwardness between them somewhat dissipate. 

He spared another look towards his friend, drinking her and her joy in. She was glowing in her grey skirt suit with a silky coral shirt, perfect for the spring weather DC was currently experiencing. She was radiant and looked much younger than she had when she left. C.J. looked happy and tan, with a slightly, almost imperceptibly rounded face and dancing eyes… Love and a healthy dose of sunshine definitely looked good on her. 

Josh felt self-conscious and wondered if he looked haggard in any way. The year away from the White House had helped C.J. regain her smile and zest for life — that much he knew from their conversations on Skype, or on the phone when asking for advice. She was always talking about exciting meetings, quick weekend trips with Danny, and adventure. C.J. was busy but she seemed to be happy with her current life. She had found the balance she had always longed for and it made him emotional to see her so fulfilled. He didn’t see himself ever being removed from the DC bubble but he sometimes did long for it, especially when he spent a little too much time talking to his friend.

“So... did you come to talk about your pet project or what?” He took a glance at his watch and feigned sadness, “Though I imagine you don’t have much time to expose your points anymore after this chat. Too bad…” he said sarcastically, shrugging exaggeratedly.

Instead, C.J. leaned forward and accepted his unspoken challenge. She put on her glasses, grabbing a few files from the messenger bag she had left by the sofa, and brought herself closer to him.

“I actually don’t need much time, Joshua. We have the money... we just need a couple of resources… _some_ help.” She handed him the first few files on top, mouthing the count as she handed them to him. Josh’s face went pale as he saw the thorough research she placed in front of him, with adequate comparisons between different African countries and American cities. “I always wanted to be a crackpot,” she proclaimed triumphantly, rubbing her hands. She couldn’t even try to hide her excitement. 

“You certainly came prepared...”

“Yeah. I had a meeting with President Santos about other stuff, and he asked me about the African projects the foundation is managing. To summarize, he has already promised me he would see how he could help without getting too involved. He couldn’t promise every point on that page but appreciated my calling him out…” She smiled for a second, and Josh sensed there was more to it but didn’t press her on it. “He will look into it and… before you say anything,” she warned him, guessing what he was about to say, “I know it’s unlikely you’ll be able to do it. It’s still nice to be considered.”

“So this is all a warning?”

“Uh-huh. Page 2 is actually where my crackpot, long-shot proposal starts.”

Josh took a long look at the report, amazed by the facts he was reading. He should know most of these things — heck, he was very much aware of them — but he had never made those connections. He was extremely impressed by C.J. She was brilliant, even if she often tried to disguise that quality under layers of sarcasm and quips in order not to appear as threatening. Josh has known her long enough to be aware of how smart she actually was.

C.J. guided him through the report, exposing additional points that weren’t there and passing him figures not shown. 

She remarked how smaller, southern towns in the US had outdated infrastructure – especially when one took a look at their road safety issues, which had led to an increased mortality rate due to preventable car accidents. She also went over houses in hurricane and tornado-prone areas that had weak structures or were built without the knowledge they had now about materials.

She reminded him that, with climate change being a real threat now, those weather events would only get more powerful and would cause terrible damage if people weren’t warned about them. 

She even included earthquakes in her talking points, remarking how some buildings along the west coast had been constructed in soil liquefaction areas. Josh’s face turned ashen when she briefly talked about the Big One that California residents were expecting and how the worst of it would be suffered in the Pacific Northwest – a fact not many were aware of.

Once he started breathing again, he could admit he was deeply impressed by his friend’s passion and thorough knowledge in diverse areas of knowledge beyond Africa’s geopolitics and road progress. Besides, it had been a real treat to get thoughtful and thorough answers to every question he asked. In her pitch, C.J. also explained how the Foundation was building smaller roads and pathways between African communities while respecting their cultures, and keeping the construction ahead of time and under budget. He had laughed when she had knocked on the table so as to not jinx it. He had thought of Toby’s superstitious nature and, had it not been a mostly serious moment, he would’ve told her to go outside, turn around and spit to not tempt the wrath of the whatever high atop the thing. Josh was sure she had also thought of it.

By the end of the intense pitch, she looked at him with a smile and relished his befuddlement.

“The last couple of pages have a quick summary of everything I’ve just said, including what I believe to be useful graphs and maps that highlight the areas that would suffer the most in each case. Sorry I couldn’t prepare a PowerPoint... I wasn’t even sure I’d stop by the White House until two days ago. Last night’s lecture was on a whole ‘nother topic and I…”

“No, it was actually great. Perfect amount of guilt-tripping… you’re an engaging speaker, C.J., you didn’t need a PowerPoint. I think you could write some incredible disaster movies, too. Hollywood loves those and you live right in their backyard.” His dimples made an appearance as he looked at her, ignoring her suggestion to turn the pages. He leaned forward, looking into her light blue eyes. “I imagine it’s weird to be back here, isn’t it?” 

C.J. nodded sharply, closing her eyes, a melancholic warmth surging through her body. She had felt weird since she had come in – this had been her place. She had spent more hours in this office than she had at her own home. She looked at Josh, smiling sadly as he kept talking, “You could always come back. We would love to have you as a special counselor. We can find you a good office with a nice view.”

It took C.J. a few minutes to realize that Josh hadn’t done what she had asked so she stared into his eyes before looking at the papers. She shifted her eyes nervously, rolled them, when Josh didn’t turn the pages towards the ones she told him to. She sighed, feeling a familiar tickle in her stomach. She had wanted that to be the icebreaker… it would be odd to just say it.

She exhaled and decided to give him an answer to his proposition instead, trying not to think of those graphics and his possible reaction to them. Josh never did anything when you asked or expected him to. Why was she surprised?

“Thank you but... no. I love this ‘pet project’, or whatever words you used to describe my job earlier. I feel fulfilled and, most days, I get to be home by dinner time. I didn’t know how much I longed for that kind of routine until I had it.”

“Surely the pay cut you’d take has nothing to do with it?” Her reference to the project had activated something in Josh’s brain because he was checking the pages now, as her heart started to hammer on her chest. 

“No. We’re not… _big_ spenders. We splurge here and there but we don’t have a luxurious lifestyle. We’re frugal,” she argued, moving her hands around. “It’s not about money. It’s about quality time with the person I love.”

She smiled, realizing he had finally turned the page. The dumbfounded expression on Josh’s face when he found the black and white picture in front of him, moonlighting as the second-to-last page, was priceless. Certainly not the figures on Central Africa or an economic breakdown of the foundation’s efforts he might’ve expected but the real reason she had wanted to visit him. 

Finally, he closed his mouth long enough to think of what to say to his friend. And he did, seconds later, but couldn’t quite meet her eyes. 

“You’re pulling my leg. You got this from the Internet...”

C.J. rolled her eyes, feeling somewhat offended he would think she’d mess with him on this topic. Sure, she had played practical jokes on him in the past but never about something this serious or something about their own lives. She felt insecure – maybe this hadn’t been the best way to tell him. Perhaps she was so old everyone would believe she’s playing with them, like Josh seemed to think.

“No, I’m not. I’m not pulling your leg. This is true. Don’t you see my name on the upper right corner?”

Josh exhaled, eyes wide in amazement. He was overwhelmed, feeling delirious for his friend. Yet he had to work through his shock. “You’re expecting a....? _What_? You... I’m... wow.” Toby had kids, yes, and that had been mind-boggling in that moment but the fact that C.J. was pregnant somehow hit him harder. C.J. was a substitute older sister to him, even if she was barely older than he was, and now she was _pregnant_.

“A baby, hopefully. Doctor Kirke assured me that’s what it looks like. I thought it was an alien at first.” She smiled at the memory, at how she had wanted to break the tension with a stupid joke. “Danny was ecstatic.”

“When did you...?”

“Find out? I think that ultrasound is from the twelfth-week checkup... three weeks ago? We’ve known for a bit over a month, I think.”

Josh was still stunned, leaning back into his chair. “Surprised?”

“Very.” C.J.’s lips curled upward as a hand traveled to her stomach – a quirk she had been repressing for the last hour with great difficulty. Up until she had found out she was pregnant, she had found it stupid. Now she understood it was a reflex.

“I imagine the dad-to-be is over the moon...” Josh grinned excitedly, allowing himself to be in their shoes for a second. A baby would be great.

“So am I,” she interrupted, feeling she needed to make it known to him. “I’m truly scared but also really excited, now that I’ve taken it in. It’s surreal, though.”

“You’re glowing. Now I get why this meeting was pretty last minute.”

“The lecture was scheduled for months, so we’d have been in town regardless. But yeah, White House, and the whole trip we’re doing after... they were last minute,” she explained absentmindedly, as if she was mulling something else. “We’ve hoped to share this for weeks. Just thought it’d be better until we confirmed it was viable and nothing was wrong.” C.J. played with her hands nervously again, enumerating her reasons softly. “We figured it’d be better to tell everyone we care about in person and not over the phone.”

“I’m so happy for you, Claudia Jean. Even if I wish I could convince you to bring you back... I’ll take this excuse for now.”

“It’s a pretty good excuse,” she conceded with a smile before she shook her head. “It’s going to be no for the next few years, if not forever. I will always cherish my memories here, both good and bad. It was a formative experience, unlike anything I had done and ever will do. But I’m done with this side of politics... It would take something really special to bring me back.”

Josh added that cryptic note to his mental list, evidenced by the twinkle in his eyes. “Uh-kay.”

C.J. felt like a weight had been taken off her chest. Josh hadn’t asked or said anything stupid so she felt oddly comforted. Maybe it wasn’t as weird to everyone as it had been to her, once she had learned the news. Maybe it was, but they had been gracious enough not to say it to her face.

But staring into her friend’s face, she knew he wasn’t questioning her or her ability. Josh didn’t have much of a poker face – at least to her – and he seemed genuinely thrilled for her. 

Both friends looked at each other incredulously. Josh finally got up and hugged C.J. effusively, so tightly she had trouble breathing. 

“This might be my favorite Crackpot meeting ever.”

“I’m flattered,” she chuckled, relaxing into his arms. Her laugh reverberated through the room. “My pitch earlier was serious... A wake-up call of sorts. The US isn’t in our plans yet but it’s something you shouldn’t forget about, with global warming making extreme weather even worse.”

“Duly noted.”

They sat back in silence, each lost in thought. This, as ever, felt like a new phase in their lives. C.J. hadn’t been planning for it but god if it didn’t just feel… right. Her husband, tearing down every wall, and the two of them, somehow falling ass-backwards into everything they had hoped for but had long given up on.

She just wished she could share this news with everyone she loved. Starting with the larger-than-life spirit that had to be lurking in this office somewhere. She wasn’t sure how he’d have reacted to the news of her relationship with Danny – probably wouldn’t have minded it since the conflict of interest had been gone for a while – but he would’ve been overjoyed by kids. He loved his tiny grandson and Margaret’s little one. It felt as if she was missing yet another parent in her life.

“Did you ever...” She paused, biting her lip as she looked around the familiar room trying to contain the tears her thoughts had caused. “It still feels like Leo’s, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed. He sighed, remembering his late father figure, his mentor. “Yeah, it does. I just try to make him proud. I use those words my other inspiration once said... WWLD.”

“What would Leo do,” she repeated fondly, wiping a stray tear from her cheek at his words and at the memory of their gone-too-soon mentor. “You’re doing good, Josh. I think bringing this tradition back suits this administration’s spirit.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. Most of you are still... starry-eyed, idealists. Underdogs. You’re young and full of dreams, just like we were at the beginning. Every administration should do it — Jackson had a good idea with this one. Besides, Leo would’ve been tickled by you doing this. He loved this day.”

“He did. He loved to torture us with it.”

She chuckled softly, feeling yet another tear fall down. “That he did. Leo was the best of us, really. He understood politics was more than just the deals, even if he had to compromise. I wish he was still around.”

The air became thick with emotion as they each thought of the friend they had lost a year and a half ago. It was hard for them not to get caught up in those thoughts, standing in the office he had once occupied. The office where his spirit was often most felt.

“Well, we shouldn’t get too emotional. He would hate that.”

“Yeah.” A beat. “He would also get emotional over it.”

She smiled in acknowledgement. “So,” she checked her watch quickly, making mental calculations. “Do you and Donna want to grab dinner with us tonight? Or are you guys too busy running the country to do that?”

“If you guys aren’t bothered by possible beepers going off... I think it’s a light evening.”

C.J. laughed hard at that mental image, forgetting Josh had no idea she had lived through a few dates with similar abrupt endings. “Oh, don’t worry about it.” She had almost added that Danny and she knew what it was like but it felt unnecessary.

“So we’ve got a deal. Please, tone it down with the marriage stuff, okay? I know I should but I wanna wait... I want it to be perfect.”

She raised her hands, shrugging. C.J. sensed something else there but wasn’t going to press it. “Your call. I’ll tell Danny not to press it.”

“Not everyone can essentially complete 95% of their milestones in the first year... or two.”

“That’s not... it’s not true.” She defended herself. “That sounds bad. We didn’t do anything wrong… we just knew each other and it was right and...”

Josh smiled calmly. “Relax, I didn’t mean it that way. I like you both; I look up to what you two have. This kid is going to be so damn lucky to have you two as parents.”

But before she could thank him or defend herself further, a knock on the door interrupted them as Margaret came in.

“President Rodriguez is on line two for you now, Josh.”

“Thank you, Margaret.”

Josh turned towards C.J., who had quickly put everything away, including the dummy pages in his packet. 

“Don’t worry about it, Josh. I’ll show myself out and catch up with Margaret for a bit. I’ll tell her the details for tonight.”

“Okay.”

“Go do something good, will you? Don’t get hypnotized by the position or the office. It’s daunting to know it’s gonna be the thing you’ll be remembered by but you can do so much in just one day. I have faith in you.”

“You betcha. Thanks, C.J.”

She kissed his cheek and hugged him. “See you two tonight, hopefully,” she added before she disappeared through the door connecting to Margaret’s office. 

Josh stared at the door while he picked up his phone and pressed the lit button, hearing a greeting between the two women. He smiled in spite of himself, reaching for the memo Margaret had prepared for him.

This had been a really good day. Leo would be so proud of them.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you liked this! If you did, kudos and/or comments would be greatly appreciated ♥


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